Joint arthroplasty procedures are surgical procedures in which one or more articulating surfaces of a joint are replaced with prosthetic articulating surfaces. Such procedures are becoming increasingly commonplace. Ankle arthroplasty, in particular, may be needed due to trauma or the degeneration of the natural articular surfaces of the tibia and the talus.
For a successful ankle arthroplasty, it is important that the postoperative motion characteristics of the ankle joint mimic, as closely as possible, those of the natural ankle. Further, it is desirable to have the ankle implants remain in place during the subsequent function of the joint. Yet further, it is desirable for the ankle arthroplasty procedure to be carried out quickly and smoothly, with little room for error. Many existing ankle arthroplasty implants and methods are biomechanically inaccurate, are time-consuming to implant, or do not form a sufficient attachment to the underlying bone.